The Australian wine industry is stacked with talent at the moment.
It seems like every other day some awesome budding vigneron is getting in touch with us to show us the exciting new beverage they've poured their heart and soul into.
This week we are putting the spotlight squarely on the young talent of the Australian wine industry.
Below are three producers who are redefining their regions through skill and innovation. Check out the new arrivals from the three producers below and keep your eyes peeled for more stories on the RISING STARS of Australian wine.
KOERNER
The Koerner brothers Jono and Damon are lighting up the Clare Valley at the moment.
The Clare Valley traditionally has been a sea of squeaky clean Rieslings and bold, hefty reds. In the Koerner range, you see a swerving in style. The Rieslings have some attitude. They are a little cloudy and blistering in intensity, smudged with fine tannin and supremely textural.
Their reds are picked at alcohols way lower than the regional mean. Seeing a Koerner red at 12% ABV is nothing unusual. It's this picking early and the use of ceramic or large format oak for fermenting which is giving their reds the freshness and energy that is setting them apart.
Add to that their exploration of rare emerging varieties such as Sciacarello or Vermentino and you've got the recipe for one of the most dynamic wine projects in the country at the moment.
"This label, from generational grape-grower-winemaker brothers, is absolutely soaring. Some of the most interesting, delicious wines in Australia are emerging, and the reinvention and sexing up of Clare Valley is apparent."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
BILLY BUTTON
Jo Marsh has put the Alpine Valleys wine region on the map over the last few years.
She has showcased the incredible diversity across the region. During vintage, she has dozens of small individual ferments on the go, with wild and wonderful things like Friulano, Verduzzo or Schioppettino bubbling away.
She makes teeny tiny amounts (sometimes as little as 25 dozen for a particular wine) from small vineyards dappled around her area. As well as making her own Billy Button wines, Jo contract winemakes for many of her local growers which has dramatically raised the standard of many of the Alpine Valleys local wineries.
Her wines are going from strength to strength. Check out seven delicious new releases from Jo that just dropped at DD this week!
"She’s going to redefine the way the wines of the Alpine Valleys in north-east Victoria are considered."
- Campbell Mattinson (The Wine Front)
DUNE
Just a couple vintages into their Dune project, and Peter and Duncan Lloyd are already making their mark.
Their father Mark Lloyd was the visionary behind Coriole's embracing of Italian varieties. Australian Sangiovese and Fiano were birthed at Coriole, now the boys are extending that legacy.
The Dune wines all come from a single organically farmed vineyard in Blewitt Springs. Where Mark focused on showcasing single varieties from McLaren Vale soils, the boys are bottling creative blends like GSMs with a splash of Montepulciano or Nero d'Avola, or their unique Shiraz Fiano blend.
This melding of classic Rhone varieties with the young emerging Italians is no doubt the future of the region. As many see the success of these silky yet savoury blends with freshness and an acrobat's balance, we are sure you are going to see plenty of other producers follow suit.
"I am smitten by these wines. I writhe in agony about not having given them higher points and not buying more..."
- James Halliday (Halliday Wine Companion)
Find all the latest releases from these three gun producers and more in our RISING STARS collection today!